


Aliit Oro'shya Tal'din

by semiiramiis (HikaruAdjani)



Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: Mandalorian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-09
Updated: 2015-04-09
Packaged: 2018-03-22 01:43:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3710161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HikaruAdjani/pseuds/semiiramiis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Challenge response, one shot, challenge prompt word: "Adoption".  Title Translation:  "Family is More than Blood"</p></blockquote>





	Aliit Oro'shya Tal'din

The sounds of conflict were intermittent, but coming closer to the solitary man striding through the shattered ruins between the city and the spaceport. If he heard them, he gave little sign...trudging purposefully along, his rifle resting on his shoulder. Dim orange light played across his mismatched, battered armor...it was mostly gray, but had large sections of yellow piped with black...pieces of his father's armor recovered after his death. 

He climbed to the top of a heap of debris, whistling loudly and mostly on key. It was a beautiful day, and he was in a rare fine mood. His employers had issued the pull out orders and he was leaving Balmorra. His employers had paid, and he was leaving Balmorra with money in his account. What more could he ask for? A couple of weeks and he'd be at home on Concordia, with big food and much to drink. 

“Get her ready to go.” He breathed into his helmet's chin pick up, not concerned when the only answer was silence...until he could afford to change the ship's droid's verbal pack, he'd go with this instead of its incessant yammering chatter. All he needed to see was the single green light appear as an answer on his HUD to know his order had been received. But it was time to pick up the pace and stop admiring the view, the last thing he needed was to be picked up by either of the actual armies fighting over Balmorra. He'd been hired by the resistance, and they would have little pull to get him released if he was captured here. 

A sound, whispery and out of place, distinct from the monotonous booming of the orbital bombardment brought him to a cautious halt. Yes, there it was again, a snort. No, a sniffle. He leveled his rifle and tracked the noise, his steps deathly silent in spite of the uncertain footing and his heavy armor. A flicker of motion just beyond the remains of a wall, and he dropped into a crouch, moving under cover for a better vantage point. 

“Haar'chak!” He growled when he got a good look through his scope, and he dropped the bead. A child. A small child, perhaps four, maybe five. It was sitting in the open, hypnotically stacking small rocks and talking to itself. Every time the stack fell over, it would start it right up again. It was ignoring the two spaceport guards beyond it, and sadly, they were stubbornly ignoring the child. He got the measure of the situation all too well and all too quickly. The guards were waiting for a pull out as well, and the last thing they wanted or needed was a small child. They were at the point where they could do nothing but pad their hearts by simply overlooking the child

But he, he was not restrained by regulations...in fact, everything he held dear and respected screamed against this. His pace picked up speed and focus, he felt the guards' gaze fall on him as he strode up to the child, planting feet on either side of its rock pile. It paused when his shadow fell over it, and it finally raised shocked, staring brown eyes to him, and he knew the truth in that moment. My soul. 

“Come here, adi'ka.” He breathed, surprised when it stood and extended hands to him. He nodded, picking it up and lifting it to his left hip, rifle gripped in his right. The child was filthy, dark brown hair hung wildly in its face, a bloody scrape bruised down its arm. He'd guess little girl now that he'd had a good look, a single stubborn barrette still clung in her hair, and her shirt had a flower pattern mostly obscured by dirt. “Let's get out of here and go home.” 

“Hey!” The closer guard protested, but was silenced when the other one grabbed his shoulder and shook his head slowly. “We can't just let him take...”

“We can.” The older guard stated. “And we will. Mandos take adoption to an art form, and it's a whole lot better than just leaving her here and hoping for the best. I assume those are your intentions.” He turned to the armored man. “Adoption?” 

“That is my intention. Do you wish to witness it?” 

“I would, actually.” 

He nodded, slinging his rifle and placing his weapon hand on the child's head. “Ni kyr'tayl gai sa'ad.” He intoned solemnly, then repeated the words in Galactic standard so that the men understood him... “I know your name as my child.” That was it, all he needed. All those who counted, needed. From that moment on, she was the daughter of Teff Itera...a daughter of Clan Itera... A Mandalorian.

**Author's Note:**

> Challenge response, one shot, challenge prompt word: "Adoption". Title Translation: "Family is More than Blood"


End file.
